Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1887-12-24
AwoNDERFuL WORKSHOP.
Tho Resources of Edison's Lsbora-
tory--Whst the New Phonograph

tory--Whst the New Photograph
te Expected TO DO.
New York Evening Post.
Right outside of I.lewellyn Park, In
Orange. New Jersey, Thomas A. Eli
son, the inventor, is now building
what promises to be the most perfect
physical and chemical experimental
laboratory in the world. His labora-
tory at Menlo Park long ago grew too
restricted for the needs of the large
number of expert workmen whom he
keeps constantly employed in carry
ing out thesuggestions which he makes
to them. For years he has wished to
build such a laboratory as he is now
finishing, and he coDfesses that this
use of money is that which has given
him the most pleasure of recent years.
The new laboratory buildings are
within sight of the pleasant country
house which Mr.. Pedder, the former
cashier of Messrs. Arnold & Consta-
BILE, built at great expense, and which
Mr.. Edison bought last year from
that firm. Tbs main buildings con-
sist Of three separate structures, each
one about one hundred feet long by
fifty wide, four stories high, and built
| of brick in tine most substantial man
ner. BIr. Edison hopes to begin work
in them in few days. They
1 are Supplied with every device for ex-
| perimental work which the scientific
| mind can imagine The buildings will
be heated by steam and lighted by
electricity.
Steam power will be supplied TO all
the maehinery;a dozen Separate lab
oratories will be fitted up with every
known apparatus for experimental
work in phslcs or chemistry, and
scores of experts, brought from all
parts of the world, will stand ready
to place their knowledge at Edison's
disposal.
In the materials with which the
storerooms are to be stocked, there
have been thousands and thousands
of dollars spent, and il Edison does
not have every needed article used in
his science, it will not be the fault oil
Ills f1HEAsAt1AgGs LAC 4AitAo EAkNAA
tions to 90 through half a dozen works
4 on chemistry, physis and mechanics
and make list OF every article speci.
fed. For instance, IN turning over
Watts Chemistry one comes across
materials at every page never heard
of outside OF the most complete chem.
ical laboratories; all these Edison
must have if money can obtain them
He will have every kind OF iron and
steel, every kind OF known wood
every kind of glass. every metal III all
their different shapes, every stone
every variety of clay, chalk, every
vegetable substance that may be D
use. from the frs of the Arctic regions
to the giant grasses of the Amazon.
Half a dozen times IN Edisonis lif,
his work has been brought to a stand
still by the lack of some materia
known to exist, but which could moi
be obtained without long delay anC
great cost. He had to send to Japar
to get bamboo fiber with which he nov
makes the carbons for his lamps. Al
present he is interrupted in his worl
upon the apparatus for generatini
electricity from heat, by the impossi
Z 4 bAtAtA vi l1iAAAAAE 2AASkCA Al GbALAALh
quantities in this country; he hai
cabled to England, and has had Il
suspend operations until the materia
arrives. At any moment he may re
quire some almost unheard-of materi
al, and be aims by this wonderful col
lection, the list o. which alread,
reaches eight thousand items, to pro
vide against annoying delays.
When found in the laboratory ofhi
lamp factory in Newark. from whic
four thousand lamps day are no.
sent out, Edison said that the con
mercial phonograph is now the mos
] interesting thing in the world to him
although it is perfectly finished, an
tools are being made for its mauufaci
ure upen a large scale. The storie
which Edison tells of what his pei
fected phonograDh will do are so q,
: traordiaary that he scarcely expect
! people to believe him, and yet he say
/, that the apparatus is so simple, so e
: fective, and so Immediately useft
: that he is certain of its rapid intro
: duction into businessman more Gel
, tain than he was OF the univers,
. adoption OF the telephone as a bus
/
) newly finished phonocraph:
! You know that I finished the frs
r nhcnngraph more than ten years agC
G II remained more or less OF a toy
+ The germ of something wonderful wa
!. perfectly distinct, but ] tried the in
q possible with it, and when the electr
+ light business assumed Comnerci,
+ Importance, threw everything owe
p board for that. Nevegt heess, the ph,
e nograph has been more or less COZ
: stRatly in my mind ever since. Whe
/. resting from prolonged wolsl upon ii
! light. my brain would revert almo,
/ automatically to the old idea. sins
the IiaAt has been flashed have tai
!. en- M the phonosraph aud after. einl
n months OF steady work have made
! a commercial invention. Ny phone
i. graph Iexpect to see in every bushes
: office. The first five hundred VIII,
q hopes be ready for distribution aboU
i the end OF January.
y "Their operations simplicity itsel
r and cannot fail. The merchant {
q clerk who wishes to send letter hs
y only to set the machine in motion
I and to talk in his natural voice an
n at the usual rate OF speed into the r
!. ceiver. When he has finished. the shee
u or 'phonogram, as ! call it, is read
n for putting into a little box made 9
purpose for the mails. We are ma
. Ing the sheets in three sizes-one Il
q letters of from eight hundred TO Oh
4 thousand words, another size for tw
L thousand words, another size iorfol
II thousand words. / expect that q
a arrangement may be made with Il
g post-office authorities enabling Il